Innocence Lost
by LordBoyar
Summary: Set three years after Weirdmageddon, Dipper and Mabel return to find that things aren't as they left them. Old friends become more than that, or break apart. Will contain Dipcifica. Rated M for future events. Please review, all criticism helps me improve!
1. chapter 1

It had been three years since she had first laid her eyes on Dipper Pines. What a cute, adorable little dork he was. Of course, she didn't say it to his face, or to anyone; the Northwests had a reputation to uphold. Reluctantly, she dismissed him, although she had rather wished that she had not.

It seemed that by the time that summer was over, she'd made up for that. They were friends, and she was actually sad that he was leaving. Of course, things had changed for everyone. Her family had lost almost everything, but she didn't really care. She was too preoccupied with her thoughts about the Pines boy who had made her summer actually fun, for once. She'd made real friends, people who liked her for who she was, rather than her birth status. Maybe not the way she had wanted him to like her, but it was a nice feeling anyway.

Pacifica never really recaptured the feeling she felt that summer. Of course, she tried to keep in touch with the twins, and she started to hang out with Wendy and her friends; but there was always an emptiness tugging at her. Dipper was a state away, and always busy with work. Mabel was studying or up to some other activities. And Wendy, well, she didn't really fit in with a lumberjack's daughter three years older than her. Let alone her friends. She'd lost the two leeches, but her parents maintained their iron fist of control around her. The hauntingly soft ringing of that bell, and the ever-watching eyes of the butler, even the eyes of the paintings followed her throughout the haunting halls of the residence her parents had acquired after the manor fell. She had found that she was spending more time away than she used to, despite spending barely any time at home originally. She wanted to escape, but Pacifica Northwest was always going to be missing one thing - Dipper Pines.

Pine Tree slung his backpack over his shoulder. He adjusted the old, worn hat he'd been wearing ever since Wendy gave it to him. They'd written emails, but there was always an awkward gap between responses. It had seemed to fall apart, with the two friends losing the glue of daily contact that had kept their complicated relationship as tight-knit as it had been that first summer.

"Hey bro-bro, you ready to go?"

"Just a sec, Mabel."

Mabel's bright pink sweater came skipping into the corner of his eye. Despite his thoughts, Dipper couldn't resist cracking at least a smirk. It had always been like that, Mabel making him laugh even when he felt it wasn't in him any more. Unfortunately for him, she knew the look he wore on his face.

"Uh-uh, someone's having girl trouble!"

She grinned, and pinched his cheek. "Who is it this time?

"It's, it's nobody."

"It isn't Wendy again, is it?"

Dipper glanced nervously at his case, and scratched the back of his head.

"Come on, Dip. It's been three years now. She's too old for you, remember?"

"But I'm older now, I can-"

"Dipper, look." Mabel sat down on the bed beside him. "Wait another three years. The gap won't be a problem when you're older, but now…"

She trailed off. Dipper had got the message, though. He looked down, and Mabel knew he'd not been happy about it.

"Hey, remember, you've got a lot of friends in Gravity Falls."

The bus ride had been almost exactly as last time. Just the two of them, and the bus driver, for a few hours. Mabel, sleeping on Dipper's shoulder, snoring just a little bit; Dipper, thinking about what would happen when they arrived. He'd messaged that he was back in town, but he hadn't got a reply. He sighed, but he knew inside. It had been ages since he had last spoken to Wendy face to face.

He remembered one person he'd not spoken to for a while. Maybe something had clicked, maybe he had just been delusional. But, since they'd got to know each other, she'd seemed different to how he first saw her. Nice, maybe. She had reached out, but always at the wrong time. He'd always been busy.

Well, now he had all summer. He was going to have to find a way to fill the time.

He took his phone out of his pocket and texted -

 _Hey Paz - it's Dipper. Arriving in town in a few hours - hope to see you there!_


	2. Long Time Coming

Dipper must have fallen asleep, because the next time he opened his eyes, the familiar water tower signalled their impending arrival. Mabel was still sleeping, still on Dipper's shoulder. Gently, he nudged her awake.

"Mabel, you awake? We're here. You should probably get ready to get off."

Mabel quietly protested, batting away Dipper's arm. Gently, he persisted in shaking her awake.

"Look, there's the stop. You gonna get off?"

Grudgingly, she lugged her case to the front of the bus. The speaker system crackled, and the tired announcement played. The door shuddered open, and there behind it was their Grunkle Stan.

"Hey kids!" He laughed in his gruff voice, "looks like I've got another summer with you two knuckleheads. How are ya, both of you?"

As the trio shared a hug, Dipper remembered what he'd done earlier. He checked his phone, but to his dismay there was nothing. Still, he smiled and carried on, even if he was a bit let down.

As they turned towards the town, Dipper noticed a rather slender, blonde girl running at them. Suddenly, she dove at him and squeezed him tight.

"Dipper! I can't believe you're back!"

Pacifica Northwest's doe eyes stared straight into Dipper's.

"Uh, Pacifica, um, hey.."

"Yeah, I wanted it to be a surprise, I guess… "

Her eyes darted to both Stan and Mabel, who had frozen in surprise. She tried to say something, but no words came out. Instead, she panicked and dusted herself off.

"Can we… can we pretend that, well…" she whispered, "that never happened?"

The car ride to the Mystery Shack was rather awkward. I mean, it was rather an unusual way to greet someone you hadn't properly seen for three years. Dipper and Pacifica sat in the back, with the occasional glance or smirk between them. Mabel sat in the front, conflicted as whether to feel happy for her brother or slightly disgusted at the thought of her brother kissing her former rival.

"So, what're you up to tomorrow?"

Pacifica's questions seemed to echo in Mabel's head, as if she was frightened of something. Threatened, maybe.

"Oh, you know, not really anything. What about you?"

"Whatever you want to… I mean, um, not really anything."

Mabel rolled her eyes. She didn't know whether she'd rather listen to her brother's shitty music or Pacifica's shitty flirting. Pacifica really hadn't done this before, which made it somewhat adorable yet also somewhat gross. She just wanted the ride to be over, so she could crash onto that old bed in the attic.

As Mabel lay awake in bed, she glanced over at her twin brother. They'd grown apart over the years, but she could still trust him, right?

She thought about it. Dipper and Pacifica. Together. A couple. She didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or cry.

As she fell asleep, she smiled, thinking of all the teasing she was gonna do in the morning. And the afternoon. Probably for half the summer.

The next morning was definitely a slow one. Stan made pancakes, or Stan-cakes as he loved to call them; Mabel, despite her usual enthusiasm for doing whatever popped into her mind, seemed to be lazing in the armchair. However, Dipper was pacing outside. He knew something had clicked between them, he had felt it. The way she'd hugged him. The car journey; there was no need for her to join them, why did she? More importantly, did she have a crush on him?

His thoughts raced through his mind, along with the feelings he'd locked away three years ago. She was still beautiful back then, but he'd been too busy with Wendy to notice her feelings. Maybe that was why she'd tried so hard to get his attention; tried to get his affection. He racked his brains, wondering what it all meant.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed twice.

 _Hey dipper, kinda bored - wanna chill or something? Hit me back - Paz_

He grabbed it straight away. Then he realised - if he wanted her to like him, he couldn't look needy. Would she like him for replying quickly? What would it tell her, that he cared? Or that he kinda wanted to fuck her? Dipper Pines cursed his anxiety as he thought through every potential scenario. Even the one where she turned out to be a llama. He knew that there was no chance it would go like he'd simulated, but he just couldn't stop himself.

Finally, he made a decision.

 _Yeah sure, I'd love that. Let me know what you want to do? - Dipper_

The two of them sat up on the hill, overlooking the town. Pacifica was leaning on his shoulder, and his arm was wrapped around her. They'd had a pizza delivered, and despite her upbringing, she found she rather enjoyed it. Well, maybe not the shitty pizza, but Dipper. Still adorable and cute. The way she'd remembered him.

It was nice, sweet even. Still, she hadn't got everything she'd wanted. But, maybe, just maybe, she could.

"Dipper," she moved a strand of hair behind her ear, and turned to look into his eyes, "I kinda - just, well - I wanted to ask you something."

"Uh, okay, I guess, what's up?"

Pacifica made her doe eyes, long practiced for a moment like this.

"I was wondering… well, sort of…"

They both looked each other in the eye. In that instant, they both knew. No words needed. She wrapped her arms around him, and gently kissed him on the lips. Silently, she pulled back, smiling. She fluttered her purple eyelids, and they both giggled. Framed by the orange glow of the setting sun, she pulled off her light pink top to reveal her black, laced bra. Dipper grinned, and moved in to kiss her again. With their eyes closed, Dipper's hands moved downward from Pacifica's golden locks, gently caressing her smooth skin as if it was a precious painting. As his hands descended to the thin lace knotted on her back, she took her tongue back to her own mouth, whispering,

"I take it's a yes, then?"

She giggled as his clumsy hands struggled to untie the lace,

"Need some help with that, Pines? You know, I didn't pay all that money for you to rip this off me on the first time."

Dipper laughed, and retorted,

"Come on Paz, I know you're minted anyway."

"True, but I don't let everyone unhook my bra-"

He kissed her again, and his hands stayed around her chest. Pacifica reached around her back with one arm, unlacing it with ease. As it gently fell to the ground, Dipper pulled his own top over his head. Jokingly, he tackled her to the ground as she laughed and hugged him tighter. She rolled over, forcing him to lie on his back as she gently but swiftly ran her hands down until she reached the waistline of his jeans, a change from the usual shorts he'd worn last time she'd seen him. Her eyes darted upwards as she wore a cheeky smile, slowly unzipping his fly. Her hands reached in, massaging the fabric of his boxer shorts, as they kissed.

She slept down on his chest, with her arms still wrapped around him. The sky was dark red, as the last embers of the sun burnt out.

"Pacifica."

Silence. Well, nearly silence, since she snored a tiny amount.

"Pacifica. You awake?"

She mumbled something, probably telling him to fuck off.

"We should probably get going, people are going to ask questions."

"So what if they do?" She mumbled again, teasing, "Are you afraid of being my boyfriend, Dipper?"

"No, no - it's not like that -"

"Don't worry," she laughed, tidying her hair, "we should probably get back."

She fumbled around, searching for her clothes. Dipper handed her the bra, but she refused.

"Keep it, maybe you'll think of me next time you see it."

She smiled at him, and walked off into what little was left of the sunset.

By the time Dipper got back to the Mystery Shack, it was already dark. Someone had been barbecuing, and there was a burger with a note stuck to it on the kitchen counter -

 _Dipper_ _No idea when you're gonna be back. You missed Wendy, she was cooking out front while you were gone. Try the burgers, they're pretty swell._ _Mabel._

"Oh fuck. How long was I gone?"

"Too long. Where have you been, broseph?"

 **Thank you for reading so far, please leave a review if you can.**

 _There may be trouble ahead. Prepare to face music and dance._


	3. Movie Night

Dipper nervously ruffled his hair as Mabel interrogated him. P

"Come on, Dippingsauce, what you been up to?"

"Well, uh… No-Nothing. Yeah, uh, chilling. Y'know?"

Mabel glared at him.

"That sounds… Suspicious…"

Then she burst into laughter.

"As if you could do something suspicious! Plus, Wendy was here while you were gone so I know you weren't making out in the forest or something. Can't believe you missed her, dude."

"Hah, yeah, that's a shame."

"Oh, by the way, she wanted you to know that tomorrow's movie night. At her place." She grinned. "You two have a lot of catching up to do. Also, just to be sure…" Mabel leaned in until her eyes were mere inches from her brother's, giggling uncontrollably. "You weren't making out with anyone in the forest were you?"

Her laughter was punctuated by the sound of Dipper choking on his food. Panicking, he opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't find any words. Mabel shrieked in surprise,

"Oh my God, you were! No way! Dip, Dip, DIP, you have to tell me who!"

Weakly coughing, Dipper tried to protest, but he couldn't get a word in between Mabel's rambling. His face started to turn a shade of red, until he finally gave up and just kept eating the burger. He knew he wasn't going to get her to stop going on about it, but as long as she didn't know who it was, he'd be fine.

That night, Mabel lay awake thinking. Who could it have been, in the forest with her brother? Gently, the clouds outside the window parted, and the moonlight seeped into the attic; Dipper had left his bag half tucked under his bed, and the zip glimmered in the new light. Quietly, she unzipped it to reveal a black, laced bra stuffed in hastily. Surprised, yet intrigued, she speculated as to whose it was. If she hadn't been as tired as she was, it could have clicked straight away.

The next morning, Dipper awoke to a full mystery board, with strings and photos all tied to a photo of him. He glanced over to Mabel, who was snoring away. She must have made all it last night, he thought. Gently, he nudged her back to the land of the living.

"Mabel, come on, time to get up."

She groaned, and turned away from him. Dipper rolled his eyes, and dragged her out of the bed.

"You're going to miss breakfast. How much sleep did you get last night?"

She mumbled, and staggered down the stairs. Dipper poured her a glass of water, laughing. Mabel cracked a small smile. This was the twin brother she remembered, and as she leaned on his shoulder, she felt a sense of unease.

"Dipper, can you promise me something?"

"Uh, I guess, what's up?"

She sat back in her chair, and spun it round to face him.

"Promise me we won't grow too far apart? It's just… Well, all this stuff with you sneaking out, it's… I'm, I'm not used to this, and while I'm happy for you, I just don't think it's fair… I don't want to lose you, Dip."

"Hey, Mabel, no matter what, you're still my twin sister. Nothing can change that, you know that, right?"

"Come on Dippingsauce, you know that's not an answer."

"Okay, okay, I promise."

Mabel smiled, her eyes were a bit watery but she tried to hide it. Wiping her eyes with her bright pink sweater, she gestured that she was going to get changed. Dipper nodded, and started tidying the plates.

Dipper was lying on his bed when the door opened. A slim redhead in a trucker cap walked in, smiling.

"Hey, man, long time no see."

"Wendy!"

Dipper quickly got up, and the two shared a hug.

"So, what's this about you and mystery girl in the forest?"

Dipper sighed, and sat on the bed.

"I see Mabel got to you as well."

She laughed, and sat down beside him.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, Dipper. I'm glad you've found someone."

She leaned in closer, and whispered.

"So, who is it?"

He laughed, and playfully shoved her off the bed. She rolled onto his bag, giggling. As she got up, she noticed the spilled contents, and examined them.

"Why have you got your sister's bra in your bag? That's kinda creepy, man."

She noticed his eyes darting away, and his cheeks turning red. She gasped in surprise, laughing.

"No way! It's not hers, is it?"

Her question was answered by the nervous look on Dipper's face.

"It looks kinda expensive… Oh shit! It's not… is it?"

Wendy didn't bother looking at him for an answer, because she already knew. Grinning, she lightly punched him.

"You can bring her to movie night if you want, you know."

Dipper looked up, nervously. A sheepish grin formed on his face.

"You're sure?"

"Of course! Just, don't fuck on my bed or anything."

They both laughed, albeit he was slightly nervous.

"You won't tell Mabel who it is, right?"

"Don't worry, man, it's cool. You might want to hide that bra a bit better though."

She winked at him as she got up.

"Don't be late."

 _Hey Paz, going round to Wendy's for movie night. Wanna tag along? She says it's cool, and she won't say anything. Let me know - Dipper_

He sat on the roof, watching the birds fly past. Stan was off somewhere, doing something with Ford, and Mabel was in town. His phone buzzed, and he quickly checked it.

 _Why not - would be good to get to know your friends a bit more. You coming to pick me up? Paz x_

Dipper grinned. He knew they wouldn't really watch the movie that night.

 _Sure - dress casual, ok? We'll be getting pizza, let me know what you want - Dipper :)_

He set the phone down beside him. Laying back on the deckchair, he put his headphones on and closed his eyes.

As Mabel read Stan's list, she groaned. She didn't want to have to do the shopping; she'd save that for her journey back. As she sweltered in the hot weather, she decided to go to the pool. Maybe Dipper would've wanted to go, she thought. Still, he'd not told her about sneaking out, or who he'd been with. Whose bra he had in his bag; admittedly he didn't know she'd found that, but she shouldn't have had to find it in the first place. These were things she thought she could trust him to tell her; maybe naive but they were twins, they were supposed to trust each other, no?

As she strolled down the sidewalk, she noticed Pacifica on her way in the opposite direction. She smiled and waved, and Mabel quickly returned the gesture. There seemed to be something off about her, something familiar but not to her. As she kept going, it clicked - Pacifica was wearing Dipper's hoodie! That explained why he'd lost it the other day, he'd given it to her! And the bra in his bag, it had looked expensive. Only someone like Pacifica could afford something like it, afford to give it away to her brother after the first night together. Clearly something sparked between them. She giggled, knowing that she had her brother nailed to a post.

Dipper waited by the pine trees at the gates of the sleek, modern house. Despite having told her to dress casual, Dipper had dressed himself up. He still wanted to impress her, not realising how smitten she was with him. He could have dressed in jeans and a t-shirt for all she cared. Behind him, the sleek steel gate opened. As he turned to greet her, his jaw dropped at her beauty. His eyes were drawn to her ass in her faded blue skinny jeans, framed by her fur-trim boots. She loosely wore his hoodie on her shoulder, with a small, tight white vest underneath. Her golden hair danced around her bare shoulder, flowing over the covered one.

"Well don't just stand there, Pines. Haven't we got a movie to get to?"

Her half-teasing, half-flirting voice brought his eyes back to hers. Smiling, he accepted the offer of her hand, and let her rest her head on his shoulder. He'd found another hoodie, but there was no doubt that she would eventually wear it. Putting his arm round her, the two walked away to find their friend.

All in all, Wendy couldn't say she had expected Dipper to get with Pacifica. Of course, she hadn't really spoken with her much. The girl's family were the richest of the rich in Gravity Falls; they didn't really let her associate with those they called 'the common folk'. It hadn't stopped her trying, but Pacifica Northwest wasn't really a good fit with Wendy and her friends. That had been two years ago.

Now, she'd changed so much. She seemed very down to earth, as she held Dipper in mock fear, before laughing and placing a kiss on his cheek. It was strange, she was almost jealous. Almost like she missed having a shadow. A cute, dorky little shadow.

Peeking over to the two, she laughed. They were making out, rolling all over her bed. Giving them a light shove, she chuckled again.

"Get a room, you two; the motel's down that way, not in my bedroom!"

Pacifica giggled, and then yelped as Wendy playfully shoved her off the bed. Dipper went with her, landing underneath. As his hands moved down, he felt her soft curves with gentle hands; while she bit her lip in anticipation. Letting out a brief moan, Pacifica closed her eyes as Dipper's hands tightened around her firm ass. Leaning forward again, she whispered.

"Go ahead, Pines. I know you want to."

Their revelry was interrupted, as Wendy rolled her eyes and turned around.

"Dipper," she snickered, "you two better not be fucking back there. Not in my bed, at least. I don't wanna have to change the sheets before I go to sleep."

When she noticed that Pacifica had turned a rather odd shade of crimson out of embarrassment, she burst out laughing.

"Come on, I'm only having a laugh! You two really are cute together, huh."

Pacifica managed to crack a smirk. Despite what she'd thought earlier, she felt at ease. She didn't feel threatened by Dipper's old crush at all; she had no reason to interfere, and if there was anything left between her and Dipper, he was doing a brilliant job of hiding it. And, knowing Dipper, he couldn't hide squat without looking suspicious. She smiled; for the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt safe.

"You're sure you want to do this?"

"Dipper, look. We can't be serious about us if you're afraid to say that you're dating me."

She smiled.

"Are you afraid to say that you're dating me?"

"Of- Of course not, Paz. Why- why would I be afraid?"

"No reason. Just, you seem a little nervous, and while it's cute, I don't want to lose you-"

Her sentence was interrupted by Dipper wrapping his arms around her and kissing her on the lips. She smiled, then pulled away.

"Maybe… tonight," Pacifica whispered a mere inch from Dipper's mouth, "I could… crash at your place?"

Biting her bottom lip seductively, she made eyes at him, almost begging him to say yes. He gave in, and nodded gently.

Dipper had never been more nervous since the first time he had seen the Mystery Shack. Sighing, he looked at the girl resting on his shoulder. Her reassuring smile kept him going, gave him the confidence to open the door in front of him.

As the two of them stood silhouetted in the doorway, a familiar voice began to tease.

"So, Dipper, why have you been sneaking into the woods with- _Pacifica_?"

Mabel changed tone immediately when she realised that both of them, not just Dipper, were right in front of her. Slightly embarrassed, both twins reddened as Pacifica giggled.

Awkwardly, Mabel asked,

"How was movie night?"

Dipper snickered, and told her that it was rather fun. Laughing together, the young couple went up the stairs, leaving Mabel behind while she realised what had just happened.

That night, as she looked over at where her twin should have been, all she saw was an empty bed. She rolled her eyes. Surely, there was no need for him to sneak out now that she knew?

The two of them were sitting on the roof together, watching the last streaks of day fade behind the veil of the night. As Pacifica looked into his eyes, she smiled. This was the best summer she'd ever had, and it had barely started. All those feelings so many years ago, when she'd never had the courage to say anything, it had all panned out for her. She leaned in to kiss him again, yelping when he jokingly tackled her. Grinning, she used his momentum against him, rolling him over to put her on top. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she kissed him, sliding her tongue into his mouth the way she'd decided that she wanted. Closing her eyes, she felt him move his hands carefully across her sides, appreciating every curve. Withdrawing her tongue, she bit his lower lip expectantly, almost asking him to go further, to feel more of her. She slowly tightened her grip, hugging him, pulling herself towards him so that her breasts pressed into his chest. Slowly, she sat up on him, looking into his eyes. She smirked.

"Maybe next time, Pines."

She looked up at the late night sky.

"It's getting late, we should probably go inside."

Gently teasing, she opened the hatch to the ladder.

"Want to share the bed tonight?"

 **Next part may take a couple of days, I've got exams over the next three weeks so please be patient. Also, thank you for reading so far.**


	4. Confrontation

Mabel awoke to find her brother obscured by a mess of golden hair. As she realised who it was, and what had happened, she couldn't help giggling a bit. As she crept out of the room, a quiet snore cut through the silence like a knife through butter. It was a rather cute snore, much like a kitten purring, and Mabel knew it wasn't her brother. Struggling to suppress her laughter, she closed the door. She had no idea what to do, but she found the situation hilarious. She immediately texted Wendy, instructing her to get over to the Shack as soon as possible. There was no way she'd let her brother get away with this unscathed; in fact, there was little chance she'd let him get away with it at all. While her annoyance at being kept out of the loop persisted, she wouldn't let it keep her from enjoying it.

Dipper woke up to find Pacifica still asleep, with her arm on top of him. He sat up, and tried to get around her without disturbing her. No such luck. She pulled him back into the bed, laughing.

"Been wondering when you'd get up, Pines."

"Come on Paz, I gotta get to work-"

She yanked him so close that he could feel her every breath on his skin.

"If we're alone, I'd probably fuck you."

She whispered, with a hint of playfulness to the point where Dipper couldn't tell if she was joking or not. He sat up, said nothing, and indicated for her to follow him to the roof. She did, and sat down beside him over the ledge.

"Why have you brought me out here then, Pines?"

She looked so happy, so innocent, that he was almost convinced not to do what he was about to.

"Look, Paz, don't you think… Don't you think we're going a bit too fast?"

She looked at him as if he'd just accused her of murder.

"What- What the fuck do you mean, Dipper?"

"It's just, well, it's only been two nights, and…"

He trailed off. She'd understood, though. Her eyes were wet with tears, and she silently got up.

"So, you just want some space? You're not, like, breaking up with me, or anything?"

She was choking on her own words, struggling to get them past her lips with a volume higher than a whisper. Looking into her eyes, Dipper felt guilty for what he'd said, but it needed to be said.

"Look, Paz, I love being with you. I'm having a great time, but I don't want to rush anything if we're going to be serious about it. You can understand, right?"

She said nothing. With tears streaming down her face, she climbed down the ladder. She ran through the shop, hiding her face in her hands, and ignoring everyone around her. After she'd got through the door, she looked back over her shoulder. He was crying too, but she didn't care. She pulled up her hood, and walked back towards the town.

"What was that all about?"

Stan's head peered from round the doorway leading to the museum.

"Actually, I don't care."

Wendy and Mabel both rolled their eyes at Stan's characteristic apathy.

"What's Dipper done now?"

"I'm gonna go check on him - Mabel, can you cover for me?"

She nodded, and Wendy walked up the stairs with a look on her face Mabel hadn't seen before.

"What have you done now, Dipper?"

A familiar voice called from the ladder.

"What have I done, Wendy?"

She could hear the tears in his mouth, as he breathed them in, and out.

"I… I lost her."

"Whoa, dude. Don't overreact so quick. What did you say?"

"I… I just wanted to slow down. We were both going so quick… didn't want to… didn't…"

He trailed off, crying. Wendy gave him a gentle hug.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You've still got a chance with her, dude. Just, don't blow it. Take a day, maybe, and go talk to her then. If she's into that, get her flowers. Give her some time, is all."

He smiled, slightly. Maybe just a twitch of his lips, but a sign of improvement.

"Look, I'll drop you off at her place if that's what it takes. But, you two are cute together - you gotta keep it that way."

Dipper was feeling even worse than he had in the morning. She'd ignored his text, and he thought he deserved it. He checked again, despite knowing there wasn't anything to check. His text stood there all alone, staring back at him.

 _Hey Pacifica. I'm sorry about what I said earlier. Please don't cut me out like this, I just want a chance to fix things._

He sighed. He'd blown it, all because he'd been insecure about what they were. He should have known that she'd been waiting a while, but he didn't.

The phone buzzed.

 _Midnight. By the lake. Don't be late._

He smiled. He wasn't going to fuck it up this time.

He'd got there a few minutes early, and his anxiety was getting to him. Baying at the door, his old wolves were waiting to pounce at his first mistake.

Suddenly, he saw a figure walk towards him. She was wearing sunglasses, but he could still see that she'd been crying.

"Hello, Pines."

Her voice was hoarse.

"Hey there, Paz-"

"Don't call me that anymore."

She was bitter, he could hear it in her voice.

"Look, Pacifica, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about what I said-"

"Oh, you're sorry, are you? Do you have any idea how long I waited for you to come back? I didn't get a chance to say it that summer, and you didn't return my calls afterwards. I thought I'd lost you; I didn't want to lose you again."

Dipper could see a tear rolling down her cheek, but pretended not to as she wiped it away.

"I'm sorry… I, I didn't know… I just wanted to slow down because, well… I'm, I'm afraid of losing you too."

He blurted it all out, continuing.

"We were going so fast… It just felt like we'd burn out… I didn't want that, Pacifica."

Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a single, slightly crumpled white rose.

"I thought… Maybe you might like this?"

His nervous smile made her laugh slightly. She took it, and whispered in his ear.

"You're going the right way about getting more than a rose back," she quietly giggled. Blushing, Dipper smirked.

"Only joking, Pines."

She moved in closer towards his lips, whispering.

"But, we can if you want to."

Laughing, she kissed him.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?" asked Dipper, as Pacifica started to walk back towards the town. She turned around, smiling.

"You bet. Oh, one last thing-"

She rummaged in her pockets, pulling out a scrap of paper with something neatly written on it.

"Pop round tomorrow evening, if you want. Be nice to get some proper alone time."

She winked, and disappeared into the forest by the time Dipper had registered what had happened.

Dipper sighed. He was exhausted, and the heat was awful. Sitting by the fan, he pulled out the note he'd kept in his pocket. To him, that note was the only way he knew what had happened last night was real. Well, and the text.

He grabbed his phone. He had to make sure.

 _Hey, it's Dipper. We still on for tonight?_

He laid back on the wall. He would likely have fallen asleep if his phone hadn't buzzed, heralding the arrival of a message.

 _Course we are, dummy. Don't mess it up this time. ;)_

 _Also, you don't need to say it's you. I have caller ID :p_

He smiled as the door opened. Looking at the him, Wendy giggled.

"I take it apologising went well?"

Dipper laughed.

"Yeah, I guess it did."

"What you looking at there?"

She snatched the note from his hand.

"Someone's got a date!" she exclaimed.

"You don't have to tell everyone!" Dipper panicked. Snatching the note back, he stuffed it in his pocket.

"Don't worry, I won't." Talking under her breath, she remarked. "Well, not everyone, anyway."

"So that's what I sound like, huh."

She smiled at him.

"Yeah, pretty much. Good luck on your date, dude. Don't fuck it up."

As he nervously stepped into the hotel lobby, he smirked. Of course she'd be here, in the best hotel Gravity Falls could offer. He looked down at the note, and read off the room number. Following the signs, he made his way to the top floor. There were only four rooms on the entire floor, each a penthouse suite fit for a president. Entering the leftmost door, he saw a pizza box on the couch, with Pacifica hidden from sight. Suddenly, she walked out of a side room into view, smiling.

"You're early. I was just getting things ready for tonight."

Dipper grinned. She looked gorgeous in his navy hoodie, with grey leggings and her signature boots.

"You look great. So, what did you want to do?"

"Shit, this pizza is good."

Pacifica had one arm around her boyfriend, and another in the box of pizza she was balancing on her lap.

"So, Pines, Netflix and chill?"

He looked at her, laughing.

"I'm not sure that means what you think it means, Pacifica."

"Why, what does it mean?"

He explained the concept to her, giggling. Her face turned a hot pink.

"Well, maybe that's what I meant."

He rolled his eyes, and kissed her.

"Stop! You'll make me drop the pizza!"

She giggled, and placed the box on the coffee table. Gently taking his hand, she led him to the bedroom. A huge screen had been hung on the wall, facing the bed. Jumping on the bed, Pacifica tugged Dipper in with her. Using the momentum, she rolled him over to the middle of the bed, placing her hips on top of his. With her hands on his cheeks, she kissed him tenderly. With Dipper's arms slowly moving down to her hips, she smiled.

They were lying on the bed together, watching the TV. As the title card flashed, Pacifica leaned on his shoulder. He glanced over to the clock, and turned back.

"I should probably be going, it's getting late."

As he moved to get up, an arm tugged playfully at his shirt.

"Don't… Stay here… With me."

"Are you asking me to go or asking me to stay?"

She rolled her eyes.

"You're a dork, you know. Luckily, you're my dork."

He took his phone out of his pocket, slowly typing.

 _Hey Mabel, tell Stan I'm crashing at a friend's tonight :p - Dip_

Pacifica yanked him back into the bed.

"Come on, it's not cozy without you!"

Dipper woke up to the sound of Pacifica's voice swearing loudly. Rubbing his eyes, he begrudgingly got up.

"What did you drop?"

She sighed.

"My hair got in my eyes; it's not my fault. I might just have stumbled into the door."

He giggled.

"Don't laugh!"

She was only half yelling at him; in truth, she'd found it rather amusing herself. Looking at the clock, she packed her bag.

"You should probably get home, Pines. We slept in a bit."

Dipper threw on his jacket, and gave Pacifica a quick kiss before he quickly started down the corridor. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pair of headphones and plugged them in. He was going to be in for an awkward conversation when he got home.

He opened the door to see Wendy at the counter, talking to Mabel. Instantly, they both turned to look at him. Mabel began her usual interrogation almost immediately after.

"So, who were you with? What did you do? H-"

"Slow down, Mabel. How's he supposed to answer any of that?"

Wendy giggled as Dipper wore a sheepish look on his face.

"Plus, I don't think he wants to tell you that he spent the night with Pacifica Northwest."

Dipper glared angrily at Wendy, but this did little but confirm her theory.

Mabel gasped, looking at her brother.

"You didn't- but you're… You two… didn't… You know…"

Dipper and Wendy laughed.

"No, we didn't have sex, Mabel."

"Well, not yet anyway," whispered Wendy, teasing. Dipper went red with embarrassment.

"Come on, we know you want to. Hey, she's pretty, I don't blame you."

She walked up to the ladder, and indicated for him to follow.

"So, how was it?"

"How was what?"

"The sex. Don't worry, I won't talk to anyone about it, I just want to know."

"I didn't have sex with her!"

Wendy frowned.

"You're sure?"

"Yes I'm bloody sure!"

She smirked.

"You're falling behind, Dipper Pines."

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me."

She winked as she slid down off the roof. Slightly surprised, Dipper just sat down on the chair. He hadn't been expecting that.

Pacifica Elise Northwest. That name should have kept Dipper from her, yet somehow he had managed to see through it. Whatever she had feared all those years ago, whatever had stopped her from confessing, it was gone now.

Or was it? Something was still uneasy in her, an odd feeling. Alas, it was enough. Two days had passed since they'd stayed at the hotel together. They'd gone out for drinks together, but mostly texted to communicate. She made a decision.

 _Dipper. Same place as last time. We need to talk_.


	5. Confess

**Before we start- (NSFW WARNING)** **I don't really do 'lemon' scenes so bear with me.** **The following two chapters were originally one chapter, but I split it because it didn't flow well enough.** **Sorry for the short chapter!** **_**

The wind by the lake blew her long, golden hair into her eyes. She couldn't help but wonder if she looked like the girl from the poster of a play she had seen a few years ago.

"Hey, what's up?"

Pacifica turned to face Dipper, with a lock of hair in her mouth.

"So, I've been thinking." She looked down, smiling. "About us. And… there's something I've wanted to confess."

She leaned in closer, her lips only a single millimetre from his. Her eyes looked into his.

"Dipper Pines… I think I love you."

He took her hand, and smiled. She moved her lips to his, applying gentle pressure. Giving him the lightest kiss she could, she smiled.

"Pacifica Northwest," he whispered, as she felt every syllable with her lips, "I know I love you."

The two of them pushed open the door to her hotel room, neither of them pulling their lips from the other's. Kicking the door shut, Pacifica grinned, pulling off her hoodie. As Dipper tugged off his top, Pacifica grabbed his undershirt and nearly ripped it off him. Unstrapping her bra, she guided his hands to her breasts, moaning as his flesh made contact with hers. She pressed her lips against his, flicking his tongue; while positioning her micro-skirt above the soft fabric of his boxer shorts. She pulled back, licking her lips.

"Do you love me, Dipper Pines?"

He looked into her eyes.

"Pacifica Northwest, I love you."

She smiled, biting her lower lip. Gently, she removed her underwear from under her skirt, while Dipper slid off his boxers. She kissed him again, tenderly.

"Just… So you know… You're my first…" she whispered, her perfect lips nearly unmoving.

"It's okay… You're mine too…"

She giggled at his cuteness.

"I love you, Dipper Pines."

She rolled over, leaving them both panting on the bed. The realisation of what had just happened hit Dipper like a truck, breaking the silence.

"Shit… Pacifica, what… What about-"

She silenced him by placing her index finger over his lips.

"My parents think I don't notice that they mix birth control in my food every night."

She rolled her eyes.

"Clearly, my reputation precedes me."

She winked at him, before pecking him on the cheek.

"Wasn't that fun, Pines? Maybe we could do it again sometime. Hopefully soon," she giggled.

He laughed, and looked at the clock. They'd been playing about for three hours, and the sun's red glow was submerging below the purple trees. His eyes wandered back to his lover, who'd dressed herself in another black laced bra and matching underwear. She noticed him watching, and smiled. Biting her lip, she moved her smooth, slender leg into the blankets, rubbing against him. Positioning herself, she crawled toward him, her blonde hair cascading onto the mattress, her lips pulling towards his. As they slowly kissed, she lay down beside him, tired from their adventures. Together, they fell asleep in their lover's arms, framed by the gentle, ebbing glow of the moonlight.

Dipper woke up to an empty bed, yawning. Glancing over, he noticed that Pacifica had got up, but he had few clues as to where. As he dressed himself, he noticed that the connection between the bedroom and the other room had been closed, but not completely, so that the flashes of light from the screen there projected through a crack onto the screen on the bedroom wall. Peeking through, he noticed her there. She was sitting forward on the couch, hunched towards the screen with an intense heat of focus he could feel from across the room. She'd put on his undershirt, along with his unzipped hoodie. In fact, the only item of clothing that was actually hers were her grey leggings. He noticed her purple-tinted headphones, plugged into a white controller. He smirked, realising what this was. Suddenly, red flashed across the screen, immediately followed by a string of expletives that Dipper didn't think Pacifica would have had in her. Laughing, he opened the door. Her face turned bright red as she realised that he'd been watching, but she cracked a smirk.

"Didn't take you for a gamer, that's for sure."

"Nobody ever does," she laughed. With her headphones around her neck, trapping her golden hair, she offered him another controller. "Come on, let's see what you got, Pines."

He took it, wearing his determination in his eyes. Plugging in his own beaten, worn out headphones, he playfully shoved her across the couch, laughing when she lightly punched him in return.

"This one's just me and you, Pines. Better watch out."

As the shooter loaded up, Dipper turned all his attention to the screen.

"Bad luck, Pines. A bet's a bet."

He sighed.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes! That was the deal!" she exclaimed. "You lost, so now you have to tell someone what we got up to last night."

She winked.

"Alright, who do you want me to tell?"

"Hmm, what about…" she giggled, "Mabel!"

"No! No way! You know what she'll do!"

Pacifica rolled her eyes.

"Alright, fine. What about your old crush, Wendy?"

He sighed, again.

"Fine. Let's go to the Shack, she should be working."

She smiled, before continuing to tease him about losing the match. They walked down the road, with her head on his shoulder.

As usual, Wendy was slumped behind the counter, bored out of her mind. The sight of Dipper was a surprise, given that she hadn't seen him all morning, but a welcome one.

"Hey, man. Where you been?"

She sipped from her disposable coffee cup, which Dipper knew had more than just coffee in it.

"Wendy, last night… Me and Pacifica-"

He was interrupted by the sound of Wendy spitting out her coffee.

"You didn't! No! Did you?"

He nodded.

"How was it?" she inquired.

The door finally closed.

"Come on, Pines, how was I?" Pacifica giggled.

As Wendy burst into laughter, Dipper's face went red.

"Erm… great, yeah, uh, you were great."

"Come on," she teased, "you can do better than that!"

She turned to look at Wendy.

"Well, he wasn't that bad either."

Wendy put her arms around the both of them.

"You two ought to celebrate," she laughed. "Properly, I mean."

She winked at Dipper, before she turned to walk off.

"Try not to get her pregnant!" she called behind her, laughing.

Pacifica looked at him, trying to stifle her laughter.

"You did good, Pines. You did good."

She kissed him on the cheek.

That evening, the two lovebirds were sipping champagne on the roof of the Mystery Shack, watching the sun go down.

"Dipper… There's something I should tell you."

He noticed the beginnings of tears in her eyes even as she swiftly wiped them away.

"My parents… want to leave Gravity Falls. That's why I've been spending as many nights as I can away, because I can't go home and argue with them every night. If I did, they'd probably drug me and take me anyway."

She'd meant it as a joke, but something about that statement rang true with Preston's character.

"I was hoping, well, now that we've got to where we are… that maybe… I could move in with you? I mean, I'm sixteen, you're nearly there, we could do it. I just… I don't want to do it alone."

Dipper held her hands, looking into her eyes.

"You're not alone. I'm here."

She smiled, her face still stained with tears.

"Stay here tonight, and I'll speak to Stan about putting you up until we can get you a place somewhere." he smiled. "Who knows, maybe you could even go to Piedmont with us?"

She threw her arms round him.

"Thank you so much!" she half-screamed. "Honestly, Dipper, no idea what I'd do without you."

Stan looked at Dipper.

"She's gotta do something to cover the costs, she okay with that?"

"Yeah, she's just scared she'll be forced to go."

"Alright. She'll do shifts with you or Mabel, and bunk in the spare room; you know, the one with the weird carpet in it."

Dipper nodded. He pulled his phone out, and texted her.

You can stay as long as you need - will have to do shifts with me or Mabel tho :P

He smiled. His life was going to get far more interesting.

Pacifica looked at her phone. She smiled, truly happy, with tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She'd already packed, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She texted Dipper.

Can u pick me up? Bus stop, 10 minutes.

She moved her case out through the window, escaping the prying eyes of the house. Walking along the road, she looked at the orange sky.

Wendy swerved, pulling up in front of the house.

"You coming?" she yelled, as Dipper practically threw himself into the car. "What's the emergency anyway?"

"Pacifica's running away, moving in with us," he panted, out of breath from his sprint.

Wendy rolled her eyes.

"You two really are the real deal, huh."

She noticed someone by the bus stop, slamming the brakes. Dipper's forehead smacked the dashboard.

"Pacifica, need a hand with that?" she asked, as Dipper regained his senses.

She shrugged, easily lifting the case into the trunk before flinging her bag into Dipper's lap. She then got in the back, accepting a piece of gum offered by Wendy. As the car accelerated towards the shack, she thought she heard something. Just before everything went black.


	6. Return

Blood. She could taste blood. It was getting dark. Something had happened; something big. She tried to think, her thoughts clouded by the impact. What had just happened? She looked at the front of the car. Wendy was slumped over the wheel, out cold. Dipper was gone, and along with him, half the windshield. She noticed the Dipper Pines sized hole in the tempered glass, and tried to get up. Her seatbelt held her in place, frustrating her efforts to find him. She undid it, staggering out of the car. It was half buried in a ditch, with a steep bank leading up to a disturbed pile of leaves. Blood splatters covered the nearby trees. She tried to uncover him, to help him, but it was too late. Dipper Pines wasn't there.

She sat next to him for the entire ride. The sirens were on full blast, but she couldn't hear them. The only thing she could focus on was her rapidly pulsating heartbeat, staggered from the shocking loss of her lover. She kept holding his hand, as if her touch would ignite the flame of life within him. They'd said he was in a coma, that he couldn't hear her. They'd said he might never wake up. If that happened, she might not wake up herself. She wouldn't want to.

Dipper wandered through the forest. The trees seemed to stretch on to eternity, and the birdsong echoed. The sky was ablaze, and he felt eyes watching him. He burst into a clearing, the lakeside in front of him. He saw Pacifica, with tears in her eyes. He moved to comfort her, but invisible hands restrained him. They forced him to watch, as he waited for himself to show up. But he never did. As she cried, she knew she'd lost him. He shouted, asking her to forgive him, but there were no words. No words came out. She fell to her knees, pulling out an orange container with two small pills in them. She twisted the cap, swallowing the contents, before she keeled over. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, rolling down his face. He felt a burning sensation, realising that his body was being rewritten atom by atom in flames. He watched on as his arms and legs burned blue into the air, screaming in pain.

He found himself in the forest again. He walked into the clearing, where once again Pacifica Northwest stood in front of him. He watched, unable to interact, as the cycle continued; all the while writhing in pain. He screamed in anguish, yet silence persisted.

"Why are you doing this! What did I do to you?"

The sky turned grey, and the eyes of the trees looked at him.

"Hello, Pine Tree. Long time no see."

Bill Cipher. The triangle demon.

"How are you here? You… you died! You… shouldn't be here!"

Bill laughed.

"Oh, but I am! And it's so good to be back!"

"What do you want?" Dipper asked bitterly.

"You were never supposed to fall in love with Pacifica Northwest, Pine Tree. I'm here to fix that."

He clicked his fingers, and said scene played in front of him. It was him, but older. He must have been about 20, but he was with someone. A redhead, roughly his height, wearing a plaid shirt. Wendy.

"Why are you showing me this?"

"Well, Pine Tree, don't you think we'd want to keep an eye on you?"

The image of Wendy snapped to look at him. Her eyes flickered yellow, her pupils elongating. He jumped back, before the image burned away.

"You're messing up my plans, Pine Tree. And we can't have that, can we?"

He woke up in the hospital. Pacifica was sleeping on his lap, and an EKG was pulsating softly nearby. He sat up, and nudged her. Her eyelids fluttered open, but they were not her eyes behind them. The haunting yellow glow persisted. Suddenly, he recoiled in horror at the hole in her chest.

"Looking for this?"

Shivering at the horrid echo of a voice which did not belong to the body it possessed, he turned to see two still-beating hearts in her hands.

"Together forever…" it whispered, as he glanced down to the equally large hole in his own chest.

"How long are we going to do this, Bill?"

"You decide. When you shake my hand, you get to go."

"I'm not going to do it, Bill."

The eye turned red in fury.

"YOU WILL DO AS I SAY PINE TREE, OR FACE MY FURY!"

"I will not kill my girlfriend!"

"You know, technically, you'll just reset time to what it should be, and she'll have killed herself."

Dipper looked at him.

"Still not gonna do it."

Bill made a sound akin to a sigh, before vanishing.

Every time he saw her, his soul died. He was forced to watch her wait for him, and couldn't help feeling guilty when he never came. Every death, no matter how, rested on his shoulders. He knew it was some trick, some mirage, but the person he was watching die looked like Pacifica Northwest; talked like Pacifica Northwest; was Pacifica Northwest. He was killing her, forcing her to suffer. The only thing keeping him going was the memory of that night, the night when she'd confessed that she did in fact love him. Without it, he would have given up long ago. Years ago; fifteen years ago. He'd kept track on his watch, which had kept ticking away faithfully. Fifteen years, and he hadn't aged.

"You've been going at this for long enough, Pines. Give it a rest, make a deal." Bill taunted. "Or, there is another option. A final option."

The memory gun's cold steel burned in his hand. Moving his hand to the dial, he entered the name. Pacifica Northwest. He hated himself for what he knew this would do to her, but it might just give him the chance to save her life. The blue light glowed, and Dipper pressed the unforgiving discharger to his temple. He gritted his teeth, looking Bill straight in the eye. He pulled the trigger.

He woke up in a white room. Pacifica was asleep, on his lap. He nudged her, waking her up. She smiled, and immediately hugged him.

"How long was I out?" he asked, "I thought I'd never see you again, it's been so long."

She squeezed tighter.

"Three days. Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

Dipper frowned.

"Only… Only three days? It's been… a while for me."

He wasn't exactly sure what to tell her. Should he tell her? He'd sound mad, and it's not like the story was believable in itself. He just hugged her, resting his head on her shoulder.

"I love you, Paz."

She giggled.

"Yeah, you better, I didn't sit for three days in this filthy hospital to not hear that."

He lightly punched her in the arm, giggling.

"Just kidding, I love you too, Pines."

They heard a shriek from the door.

"Oh my God! You guys are so cute!"

Mabel and Wendy were both standing there in the doorway, coffees in hand.

"Yeah, they just had sex so few days ago."

Mabel spat out her coffee.

"They- What!" she turned to face Dipper. "You didn't tell me?!"

Pacifica and Wendy giggled.

"I cannot believe that you beat me to it. You, anxiety incarnate!"

"Yeah, he's not bad either." added Pacifica, getting a glare from Mabel.

"Not helping!"

Dipper smiled, dismissing the life he had felt before as a dream. He'd suffered enough, he wouldn't add on pain out of doubt.

"Look, if you two," he indicated Mabel and Wendy, "want to cop off in the hallway, you're welcome to do so."

Wendy winked at Mabel..

"Sure," she joked, turning to Mabel, "You coming?"

She looked at the older girl, rolling her eyes. Suddenly, she threw her arms around Wendy, firmly planting her lips on the other girl's. Smiling, she pushed her tongue in. Wendy grinned, flicking Mabel's tongue with her own. Her arms wrapped Mabel in a tight hug, lifting her off the ground without removing her lips.

Pacifica and Dipper looked on, shocked. They hadn't expected that.

Dipper and Pacifica sat in the back of the car on the way back to Gravity Falls. It was certainly an awkward ride, with Wendy driving and Mabel blushing in the shotgun. Nobody had talked since the incident in the hospital.

"So," Dipper said in a weak attempt to break the ice, "are you two, like, a couple now?"

Mabel glared at him.

"I don't know, Dipper. Maybe it's like you and Pacifica when you forgot to mention that you were having sex?"

He could taste the bitterness in her voice.

"I mean, I think it's cute, is all."

"Just because you're only now coming out of a coma, don't think I won't kick your ass."

He thought it might just be a better idea to be quiet.

The weather was awful. It was lashing down with rain, and thunderclaps echoed through the trees. The Shack was just ahead, just beyond the horizon. He felt cold, a chill blowing through the car, as the engine choked. A familiar voice spoke from behind him.

"You're going to rupture time itself, you know. Better quit while you're ahead. Give her up, Pine Tree."

Protectively, he put his arm in front of Pacifica.

"You're not going to kill her, Bill. I'm done with your tricks."

He shrugged.

"Time will tell, Pine Tree. You'll be begging for me to kill her before you know it."

He jolted awake as Wendy shot over a pothole at 90 miles an hour. Another dream, yet one that carried on from the last. He looked over at Pacifica, who'd fallen asleep on his shoulder again. She had a bad habit of doing that. They were almost home.

The Shack had never been a happier sight than then. Dipper had longed for warmth, Pacifica for rest; Mabel and Wendy just wanted some time to themselves. As Dipper and Pacifica snuggled up to each other in the bed, a familiar blue carpet decorated the floor.

Wendy lay on what had been Dipper's bunk, her hands behind her head on the soft pillow. She looked at the bed on the opposite side of the attic, smiling.

"How long have you known?" she asked.

Mabel rolled over, quietly laughing.

"Dipper's not the only one with really obvious tells." She rolled her eyes. "Come on, I'm not blind. Give me some credit."

She sipped from a glass of water by her bed.

"How long have you known about Dipper and Pacifica?"

"Oh, that." Wendy giggled. "Three years, give or take."

"What?! They've been going out for three years?!"

"Oh, no. But I saw the way she looked at him; you could tell she was smitten. One more day, she'd have asked him out for sure."

"That explains her reaction at the bus stop."

"Yeah, it was definitely inevitable after that. All those times they snuck off; I was surprised they weren't having sex straight away."

Mabel glared at Wendy, before bursting into laughter.

"Yeah, I guess. What even were they doing?"

"Who knows? It's not like he's talking about it."

Pacifica punched Dipper on the arm, laughing.

"You're so trash! How am I better than you?"

"Hey, it's not my fault! My controller broke!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Excuses, Pines. Just accept that I'm better!"

Red flashed over Dipper's screen again.

"Fuck!"

He playfully shoved her.

"How? This game is broken."

"Aww, what's wrong? Somebody not good enough?"

She pecked him on the cheek, giggling; while Dipper threw his controller on the bed.

"It's your headphones! You can hear everything, while I have to deal with this speaker!"

She rolled her eyes again.

"Just say it, Pines. Look - 'you're better' - not too difficult, no?"

He sighed, kissing her.

"Fine. You're better than me at this."

She laughed.

"Come on, it's late." She pulled back the covers, slipping in. "Don't leave me by myself, Pines."

Mabel laughed at Wendy's idea. Hilarious nonetheless, she just couldn't see her brother playing video games with Pacifica every time he snuck out.

"It's probably true, you know. They just seem like that sort of couple."

"No way. Pacifica Northwest, gamer girl?"

"Oh, so what do you think happened?" she asked, feigning hurt.

Pacifica Northwest stood by the lake, wearing a purple evening dress. The moonlight surfed the waves, rippling across her face. Dipper Pines, in his best jacket and tie, walked up to her, putting his arm on her hip. She smiled, and turned to face him.

"You're late, Pines."

"Come on, I had to look my best. You're quite hard to please; plus, you've made quite an effort yourself."

She feigned insult, before giggling.

"I'll have you know that I look this good effortlessly, Dipper Pines. Not my fault you don't have any class."

He swept her off her feet, into his arms; moving to kiss her, he whispered.

"How's that for class?"

Wendy shook her head.

"Nope. For starters, why the fuck would she wear an evening dress to the lake? And seriously, I don't think your brother is that smooth."

"Have you read his journal? He mentioned that she - and I quote - 'looks alright in an evening dress'; totally into her even three years ago." Mabel laughed. "It's nice to imagine, you know. I'm sure he might have imagined you and him like that."

Wendy giggled.

"Yeah, probably. Funny how things turned out, huh."

"Speaking of how things turned out, what exactly are we doing? I mean, Dipper and Pacifica just saw us making out, so we should decide - are we going to be a couple?"

"Well, I like you, and I'm willing to give it a go if you want, Mabel."

The door creeped open, to reveal a tired-looking blonde girl in a purple silk gown.

"Sorry to interrupt your snog-fest or whatever, but I need a spare bra and Dipper's asleep on my suitcase. You seen the one I gave him a while back?"

Silently, both Wendy and Mabel pointed towards Dipper's bag, both slightly confused as to how the other knew.

"Thanks?" she said awkwardly. She slung it over her shoulder, before slowly backing away; no doubt intending to tell Dipper what was happening the second he woke up. Or maybe a bit later, she wasn't too fussy. She just needed to sort her hair out before he woke up.

Over the next few days, the atmosphere was certainly different. Wendy would sneak in during the evening, before leaving in the morning again to make it look like she was only just coming in. Dipper and Pacifica spent most of their time on the roof, either making out or drinking. Wendy had noticed that they'd vanished two nights ago, showing up for work in the same clothes they'd had on yesterday; except both of them looked rather flustered yet happy. She'd smirked, knowing what they'd been up to, but she didn't think Mabel knew. Of course, when she told her a day later, she'd just rolled her eyes. It wasn't really surprising any more, that Dipper wasn't telling her anything. Twins did eventually grow apart, after all.

Mabel sighed. She'd been sitting on the hill overlooking the town, watching the sunset. She wondered whether her entire summer would be like this, watching her brother sneak out with Pacifica. Even now, they were sipping beers on the roof; at least, they had been when she had left. She didn't even think he'd noticed.

Suddenly, a voice called out. She recognised its distinctive sound immediately, surprised that he'd returned.

"Blendin?"

"Hello, Mabel."

"Why are you here?" she asked, unsure of the reasons behind the unexpected visit.

"Something's gone terribly wrong with time."


	7. Goodnight

_Insomnia_

Dipper sat by the lake, Pacifica on his shoulder. In another life, they might just have made it.

 _Keeps me up at night_

Mabel and Wendy were on the roof, making out. In another life, they might just have been happy.

 _I sleep on the wrong side_

Dipper and Pacifica, so many plans for the future. She'd wanted to run away with him, to live her life with him, to be one with him. He'd loved her, and would have given anything for her.

 _From what I've seen_

Mabel and Wendy, an unexpected start leading up to what might have been an uneasy journey. The new couple would have had so many challenges to overcome, but they would have done it together.

 _You're quite the wandering kind._

Dipper saw himself, quite a few years in the future. Pacifica was holding his hand, with her other over her belly. Could it be? She was pregnant! He smiled, tears in his eyes. If only he could have lived it.

 _How long have you known_

Pacifica Northwest looked onto a life she envied. She knew it didn't make any sense, envying herself, but it persisted. Dipper and her, with two lovely blonde twins. A boy, and a girl. They were beautiful, better than anything she could ever have wanted. Tears rolled down her face, as she angrily slammed the screen keeping her from touching them, holding them.

 _I've had my eyes on you_

Mabel Pines was greeted with the sight of her brother, visiting her and Wendy. He wasn't alone; a beautiful, slender blonde woman. Pacifica Northwest; Pacifica Pines now. Two young children were running to hug their aunts. She smiled, her eyes wet with both joy and sorrow. She remembered when she was that age.

 _Seen you in these halls_

Wendy saw herself with a Pines twin, but not the one she'd seen herself with three years ago. Wendy Corduroy-Pines. She loved it; she hated it for not letting her live it. She would still be a Corduroy-Pines, just not the one she wanted to be. Yes, they'd love each other, but the Wendy she was now didn't. It could never be real.

"Why are you showing us these things?"

"Oh, isn't it simple?" Bill asked. "I want you to see what you could have had, what I'm talking from you."

Dipper shot awake. He quickly checked beside him, only to sigh in relief at the sight of Pacifica Northwest laying there. He checked above in the attic, relaxing when he saw Wendy and Mabel both asleep. He was scared; the dreams had been getting more frequent, as if counting down to some impending apocalypse. Dipper sighed, lying back next to Pacifica. He loved her, that much he knew.

They'd decided to go to the lake again, given that that was where they fell in love. It was his idea, wanting to spend as much time with her as he could. He still hadn't told her about the dreams; maybe because he didn't want it to be real. He sighed.

"Dipper!"

He turned to see Mabel walking towards him, along with someone he hadn't seen in three years. Someone he knew confirmed what he'd seen before. Getting up, Dipper confronted the time traveller, despite knowing why he was here.

"This timeline... It's not what it should be. Your lives have changed from what they should have been."

Dipper already knew what was happening.

"You're... Not... Taking... Her... From... Me."

He was choking, with tears in his eyes.

"Why, what's going on?"

Pacifica had followed him after the argument. The time traveller turned towards her, and told her.

"You and Dipper were never supposed to end up together. The timeline corrupted. It was supposed to be Dipper and Wendy; you died just two days before he came back."

She stood in shock at what she had just heard.

"I'm... I'm dead? And... I was never with Dipper?"

Both Dipper and Pacifica had tears rolling down their faces, with Mabel's eyes wet.

"Who decides this? We're happy now, why can't we just be left alone?"

"Good question, Pine Tree."

Dipper heard the voice in the back of his head. Bill Cipher, coming back to taunt him again.

"Tried to warn you, kid. Maybe if you listened to me, your girlfriend would have an actual future."

"So, what happens now?"

Blendin read out of a manual, giving a generic answer.

"Your timeline will be erased, and nothing you do matters. In fact, I'm only here as a courtesy, because I owe both of you. Cherish your time, because technically you have none. I'm going to stay here for 24 hours, and then I'm going back to reset the timeline. Good luck, kids."

Dipper and Pacifica went back to the hotel. If it was their last night together, they wanted to make it count. They sat on the terrace, watching their final sunset.

"Dipper - This is probably my last night on earth." She looked him in the eye. "Let's make it a good one."

He smiled, despite his sadness.

"Pacifica - No matter what, I love you." His voice was slightly hoarse, but he kept going. "And, since I won't get another chance..." He reached into his pocket.

"Pacifica Northwest, will you marry me?"

She laughed.

"How long have you had that?"

"Got it this morning. Wasn't planning to propose soon, but I guess that doesn't matter much now."

"If, somehow, we make it through this, I'll marry you, Dipper Pines."

She took his hand, leading him to the bedroom.

"For now... Let's see how much you love me," she teased, biting her lip and removing her top; as if she could forget her impending death by drowning herself in him.

Wendy and Mabel sat on the roof, discussing their future. Or, more accurately, their lack of one.

"So, in this alternate timeline; the one we're supposed to be in, I ended up with Dipper?"

"That's what I was told." She took a breath. "Also, Pacifica's dead. She took her own life. That's why Dipper's so upset, because resetting the timeline will kill her."

Wendy was shocked by the revelation.

"Shit, man. That'd fuck me up."

She paused.

"What does this mean for, well, you and me? I mean, we won't be together any more-"

"That doesn't matter," interrupted Mabel. "We're here now, and only now. I say we seal the deal."

Taking her hand, Mabel led Wendy to the bedroom, bolting the door shut.

"I've been waiting a long time for this." Wendy grinned, pulling off the plaid shirt she had worn for so long.

They lay on the bed, both slightly out of breath.

"That was..." Mabel gasped.

"Amazing? Great?"

She laughed.

"Something like that. I - just - wow."

"Yeah, I've had some practice." Wendy giggled.

"It's strange to think that in just a few hours, it'll be you and my brother doing that."

Wendy looked at Mabel.

"Dude, total buzzkill."

"Still, you can't help wondering, will we remember?"

"God, I hope not. If I really do end up fucking your brother, that's going to be a very uncomfortable thought."

Mabel laughed, punching her in the arm.

"But seriously, though, if one of us remembers..."

"We'll tell the other what happened."

They both smiled, knowing that what they were planning for was impossible. Neither would let it on to the other, wanting to keep their hopes up.

Dipper watched the clock count down on the screen. They'd called Wendy and Mabel over, wanting to spend their final moments with their friends. Pacifica had dressed herself into the purple dress she had worn when she'd become friends with Dipper, wanting to remind herself of those days she'd enjoyed, the days she'd fallen in love with him.

Wendy and Mabel opened the door together. The clock had 30 minutes left, and the sky was a pale blue mixed with hints of orange. They noticed Dipper and Mabel on the terrace, with a bucket of ice and drinks between them. Pacifica was wearing her old sunglasses; she'd been crying but even now attempted to maintain appearances. Dipper was in his jeans and hoodie, looking glum about what he knew was about to happen.

"Mind if we join you?"

He turned to face his sister, wearing a bittersweet smile.

"Sure, the more the merrier."

They sat in a circle, telling stories about that summer. They were trying not to cry, but it was no use. Pacifica was on Dipper's shoulder, arms around him for the last time.

"Well, everyone... It's been a pleasure to know you." He turned to Pacifica, technically his fiancé. "I love you, Paz."

"I love you too, Pines."

Wendy and Mabel looked at each other.

"Do you think-"

"Now or never."

"Wendy Corduroy, I love you."

"Mabel Pines, -"

She never finished the sentence. Instantly, blue flames erupted from every atom in every cell of their bodies. Dipper and Pacifica had one final kiss as their bodies were engulfed.

He sat by the lake, where she'd died. He wasn't supposed to remember any of this. He'd never said anything, because nobody else had asked. Watching the sunset, Dipper Pines took out an orange container and smiled bitterly. It was his fault, and it was time to pay for his sin.

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **There will not be a sequel or continuation.**

 **I look forward to writing future Gravity Falls FanFiction.**

 _Alphetekk_


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